The present invention relates to the field of games for amusement and entertainment. More particularly, this invention relates to a new board game in which all participants in the game are simultaneously involved. Nobody has to wait while another player takes a turn.
Board games of various types in the prior art have provided entertainment for players. These board games have a great diversity from real estate sales games such as MONOPOLY to war games such as RISK and to games with questions and answers such as TRIVIAL PURSUIT.
In games with questions and answers such as TRIVIAL PURSUIT, it is often seen that players not having a turn are not committed to the game. They stay idle and may be even bored while awaiting their turn.
Further in a game like TRIVIAL PURSUIT players are required to have an extensive knowledge of several subjects in order to be able to answer a reasonable proportion of the questions asked during the game and therefore players without such knowledge do not find the game entertaining.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a board game apparatus to be used in an entertaining game with questions and answers and wherein all players are involved in the game when any player or team of players has a turn.
It is another object of the invention to provide a board game apparatus with questions of a structure that is adapted to assist a player in answering the question so that even players without the a priori knowledge needed to answer the question may still have a chance to answer the question correctly.
Below, a team of players is termed a xe2x80x9cteamxe2x80x9d. A team is constituted by one or more players playing together against one or more other teams.
According to the present invention the above-mentioned and other objects are fulfilled by a method of playing a game comprising:
(a) providing each team with a quantity of play pieces for keeping a score,
(b) providing question cards, each of the question cards having a printed question printed thereon,
(c) a team selecting one of the question cards,
(d) the team having a turn betting a selected number of play pieces that the team having a turn can answer the question correctly,
(e) teams not having a turn optionally betting a selected number of play pieces on whether or not the team having a turn can answer the question correctly, whereby all teams participate actively in the game during each turn of the game,
(f) the team having a turn answering the question,
(g) teams collecting or paying play pieces according to the betting result and starting the next turn,
(h) the game ending when one of the teams has won a predetermined number of play pieces, this team being declared the winner.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method also comprises:
(a) providing a game board having a selector for selecting a set of questions from a plurality of sets of questions,
(b) providing question cards with a respective question from the set of questions printed thereon and being distinctly marked accordingly, and wherein
(c) the team having a turn activates the selector for selection of a specific set of questions.
Provision of a selector and dividing questions into sets of questions gives players an opportunity to utilize knowledge about other players when betting. If for example questions are divided into categories according to topics, such as geography, biology, physics, sport, politics, etc, some teams may prove to have a lot of knowledge within some categories and less within others. During the game, players may notice the capabilities of other teams and utilize this experience when betting.
Further, an apparatus is provided comprising a quantity of play pieces for keeping a score, and question cards, each of the question cards having a printed question printed thereon, and to be used in the above-mentioned game.
In another embodiment of the invention, the apparatus also comprises a game apparatus with a selector for selecting a set of questions from a plurality of sets of questions, and question cards with a respective question from the set of questions printed thereon and being distinctly marked accordingly, and wherein the team having a turn activates the selector for selection of a specific set of questions.
It is the gist of the present game that all teams participate actively in the game during each turn of the game. No teams are forced to stay idle during a turn. Before a team having a turn answers a question printed on a drawn question card, this team has to bet that the team can answer the question correctly. The other teams may bet on whether the answer to be given will be the correct answer or not. In this way all teams are engaged in the game all the time.